The MacRumors Show: Are the M3 MacBook Pro and iMac Worth the Wait?

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss Apple's "Scary Fast" event and the new Macs it introduced.


We talk through our candid feelings about the unusual Apple event and the way in which the company presented its latest devices. We look at the all-new M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips, and weigh up the new MacBook Pro and iMac, who should consider upgrading to the next-generation machines, and more. Let us know what you think of Apple's new Macs in the comments.

The podcast is now on its own YouTube channel, so head over and subscribe to keep up with new episodes and clips going forward:

You can also listen to The MacRumors Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, Google Podcasts, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.


If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about what we were expecting to see at Apple's event to see what we got right and wrong.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by exciting guests like Luke Miani, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Kevin Nether, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, Quinn Nelson, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is now on X @macrumorsshow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
govee floor lamp

CES 2026: Govee Announces New Matter-Connected Ceiling and Floor Lights

Sunday January 4, 2026 5:00 am PST by
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light. The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...
Belkin 25W Battery magnetic

CES 2026: Belkin Announces Magnetic Ring Power Bank, Modular Dock, and More

Sunday January 4, 2026 3:02 pm PST by
Belkin today announced a range of new charging and connectivity accessories at CES 2026, expanding its portfolio of products aimed at Apple device users. UltraCharge Pro Power Bank 10K with Magnetic Ring The lineup includes new Qi2 and Qi2.2 wireless chargers, magnetic power banks, a high-capacity laptop battery, and USB-C productivity accessories, with an emphasis on higher charging...

Top Rated Comments

1291030 Avatar
28 months ago
I think at this stage the question is really are Mac’s worth it at all anymore? The tax keeps growing and it’s getting to a stage where it really hard to justify.

I mean, right now, an 1TB to 2TB upgrade cost 2.67x the price of a similar performing 2tb Samsung 990 pro The markups are starting to border insanity.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eropko Avatar
28 months ago
I admire their ability to chat about nothing for 45 minutes
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nikhsub1 Avatar
28 months ago
Clearly we are now at the Meh phase with Apple folks... what I mean is, before Apple Silicon, Apple was at the mercy of Intel and their chip schedule. Very erratic updates and people would complain about the LACK of updates to the laptop line. Now that Apple controls the CPU and GPU, which is now on a once a year update schedule so far, now people complain that the update is just MEH...

Tough crowd for sure.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Orange Bat Avatar
28 months ago
This shouldn’t have been an announced “event”. Imagine if Apple had just released a video out of the blue announcing M3 and the new machines. People would have been excited. Apple’s big problem is that they build anticipation when they announce an ”event”. If Apple had just dropped the video sometime during the day it would have made news and created buzz. Instead, we just got disappointment.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rishey Avatar
28 months ago
What wait? The ten months since the last update?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AlexESP Avatar
28 months ago
For years, Macs were constrained by Intel processor and they were just “better than average” computers with a great body/screen and MacOS. Now, they’re more incredible than ever.

The MacBook Air is by far the best laptop someone can buy for its price. And there’s nothing like the MBP, no matter the price. Switching to ARM was a really risky move, but it’s been nothing but a triumph. Exciting times in the computer area.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)